


Dashing Through The Snow

by Julieoftarth (Wherethereissmoak)



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Cabins, Camping, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Road Trips, Snow
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-22
Updated: 2018-12-28
Packaged: 2019-09-24 13:22:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,226
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17101376
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wherethereissmoak/pseuds/Julieoftarth
Summary: Brienne just wants to get back to Tarth from the North to her promised wedding to Hyle Hunt, although she is not really looking forward to it. But winter has arrived, and the only pilot refuses to fly just because they can't find the runway. And to top it all off - that arrogant man takes off on his own on a snowmobile to head south.Jaime didn't want the annoying woman to follow him on the spare snow mobile, but soon he found himself not hating her company at all. In fact, there was something different about the tall blonde woman.Bears, cabins, naked chests - oh my!





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [hardlyfatal](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hardlyfatal/gifts).



> Happy Holidays! I got the wonderful hardlyfatal for my secret santa giftee, and I'm both excited because I think she's amazing and intimidated because I love her writing so much and hope I give her a gift she will enjoy. 
> 
> Here are her words: soulmates, cabin, surprise
> 
> This is loosely based on a cheesy holiday movie I was watching and talking about in chat one day and thought would be perfect for JB.
> 
> No beta because I didn't want to spoil the surprise, so I apologize for any errors. Plus, the kids are on school break, so it's like the thunderdome up in here right now.

Brienne looked around her classroom, she would be sad to leave the kids here. It was nice to get away from her family and the responsibilities that came with it for a while. When Catelyn Stark asked her to come teach at one of the remote schools near Winterfell for a year while they found a permanent teacher, she had jumped at the chance.

While it was cold up here, the Starks and everyone who lived here were fond of reminding her that winter was coming, she enjoyed the children here. They were hearty and strong of spirit, not like the pampered youth she often encountered among the gentry in the south.

But now the year was up, and she was due to go home tomorrow. Home to the promise that she had made to her father. One year away and then she would settle down and marry Hyle Hunt, the only suitor that would still take her.

Hyle had been e-mailing her details of the wedding plans he had been making with her father while she was away. And their small ceremony was planned for the day after she returned. Hyle was eager to have access to Selwyn Tarth’s wealth, and her father was eager to finally not have to worry about the family line continuing.

Brienne had made a vow, and she was going to keep it, even if she didn’t love Hyle at all. Hells, she didn’t even LIKE Hyle. But an oath was an oath, and she couldn’t back down now.

She locked up her classroom for the last time and walked to the only bar in town, where her coworkers had promised her a going away gift.

“Surprise!” came the shout when she opened the door, and she was a little annoyed that they had thrown her a going away party. She knew that Sansa was behind this and was just trying to be kind, but Brienne hated being the center of attention.

She had to walk from person to person in the bar, saying goodbyes and hearing their well wishes for the wedding. Brienne didn’t want to hear any more congratulations, really.

“You know, I’m no longer technically your boss,” the superintendent Tormund Giantsbane said as he plopped down in the chair next to her. “And it’s going to be awfully cold tonight. Winter is coming, so they say. Do you want to warm my bed?”

He waggled his eyebrows at her, the same way he had for the past several months. Brienne was not used to getting this kind of attention from men, with her looks not being the type that people found attractive. But she had broken up a bar fight one night by tossing a man across the room and Tormund had not left her alone since.

“Um, no thank you. I have an early flight in the morning.”

She said her goodbyes as politely as possible and got out of that party within minutes after that, not wanting to deal with Tormund anymore. When she exited the bar, she saw that the northerner’s predictions were finally correct – winter was here. Snowflakes were falling gently from the sky, Brienne stared up at them, letting them hit her face. She looked around to make sure no one was watching and stuck out her tongue to catch a few. She had always heard about that in books and had finally gotten a chance to try it.

Brienne spent the rest of her night packing before falling into a fitful sleep. The thought of the wedding waiting for her at the other end of her journey was keeping her up half the night.

When Brienne woke up in the morning, she learned that the snow during the night had been anything but gentle. When she opened her front door, the snow bank came to her waist. Still, she had a flight to make, so she chucked her luggage out of the cabin and onto the snow. She climbed out above the drift and slowly waded her way through the snow toward the small airport that was on the outskirts of town.

A plane from the south landed there once a week and flew out the next day, and Brienne was scheduled to go out on today’s flight. When she got to the office to check in, however, it was dark and empty. The snow was up to the middle of the doorway, indicating that no one had opened it.

“Hello? Anyone there?”

“Office is closed today,” said a voice from behind her.

She turned to see a man, bundled up from head to toe, scowling at her.

“It can’t be closed, I have a ticket on the flight out today.”

He looked her up and down, and Brienne felt herself blush under his scrutiny. “No flights today, babe, sorry.”

“Don’t call me babe, and what do you mean no flights today? I have to get home to Tarth by Monday!”

Though most of his face was covered, Brienne could see the man roll his eyes at her. “Do you see a runway?”

Brienne looked up and down the snowy landscape where she supposed the runway must be buried under. “No.”

“No runway, no flights.”

The man turned and walked away as quickly has he could in the knee-deep snow, Brienne hurried to keep up with him.

“But you don’t understand. I’m getting married on Monday, I promised.”

The man chuckled at that. “Well, no doubt it’s some weakling of a man that you can push around. Would have to be someone that is into that sort of thing.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing. It’s just that girls like you typically end up with guys like that.”

“I don’t think you’ve met many girls like me,” Brienne said, protesting the man’s on-point interpretation of Hyle, gods knew why.

He stopped and sized her up again. “Nope, I haven’t met any girls like you. You are correct.”

Brienne rolled her eyes at the annoying man. “So, when do you think you can get the plane out of here?”

“I don’t think the runway will be cleared until at least next week sometime, but I won’t be around to fly it. I have to get back to King’s Landing by Monday as well.”

“Well then I guess we are both stuck.”

The man smirked at her, as he unlocked the shed. “You are, not me.” He walked over to a snowmobile and began to check it for supplies.

“You’re going to take that thing south?”

“As far as I can get.”

“You have to take me with you.”

“Listen, babe, I don’t have to take you anywhere. You can just stick it out until I return to fly you back.”

“But that could take weeks!”

The man grinned. “Your precious fiancé will have to wait to gaze upon your…er…figure in a wedding dress.”

Brienne didn’t know whether to punch the man or pretend to be nice to him in hopes he would change his mind. She looked away from his enchanting green eyes in frustration. In the back of the shed she spied something that made her want to cheer.

“There’s another snowmobile!”

He shook his head. “I don’t care, you are not coming with me. I have to get back, and I don’t want an inexperienced person such as yourself slowing me down.”

Brienne hurried to the back of the shed and tied her luggage down to the snowmobile. She threw her leg over the side of it. “I’m a fast learner,” she said as she revved the engine.

“Well, you’re not going with me, so good luck getting through the northern wilderness on your own, babe.” He shouted the words at her as he sped off in the snowmobile.

“Don’t call me babe, you idiot man!” Brienne raced her snowmobile after him, only to realize she did not know the name of her traveling companion and nemesis.

**

Jaime Lannister was surprised that giant of a woman had kept up with him all morning of his journey. Most women would have complained about the cold, or the grueling pace by now, but this one was made of sturdier stuff. He liked it. Not that he would tell her that.

He still didn’t appreciate the idea of having her along for the trip to King’s Landing. Somewhere along the way, something was bound to happen to her and he would feel responsible. Even though he gave her numerous warnings to not come along.

It turned out they only needed until lunchtime to hit a hitch in her plan to come along, because she hadn’t stopped long enough in following him to realize that she didn’t have supplies.

Jaime made a big show of making himself lunch and groaning about how delicious it tasted. He was sure she would cave and beg for food by now.

But she just sat there stubbornly with her chin in the air, as if she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of asking for food.

Finally, he took pity on her and shared his meal. She looked for a moment like she was going to refuse, stupid, stubborn girl, but she finally nodded in thanks and took it from him.

“I realized I never got your name, babe. I know you don’t like me calling you babe. I can’t promise I won’t stop calling you that, but a name might help.”

“Brienne Tarth,” she said between mouthfuls. Jaime whistled.

“So, from the Tarths of Tarth? Now I see why your fiancé wants to marry you.” When she opened her mouth to protest, he put up his hands in surrender. “I don’t blame you or judge. My sister was paraded throughout Westeros to all the big families, like a prize bull.”

Brienne scoffed at this, and Jaime gave her a quizzical. “What, you don’t believe me?”

“I’m sorry, a small aircraft pilot who enjoys traipsing through the woods does not scream of someone from a noble family.”

Jaime looked down at his attire, not the normal more expensive clothing he would wear on his family’s estate. He felt his full beard and ran his fingers through his long hair, maybe she had a point. Not that he was going to clean up any time soon, because Jaime enjoyed annoying his father. Still, she didn’t have a right to judge him.

“And teaching in a small-town school in the middle of the northern frontier does?”

“I was helping a friend, and these children need all the advantages they can get in life.”

“I know, which is why I fly in supplies, medical equipment, and the like.”

Brienne sized him up. “Alright, maybe you are somewhat of noble spirit, even if you wanted to abandon me back there.”

“It’s not abandoning you when you have a warm place to stay and a promise of a flight in the future.”

“I have to get back…”

“For your wedding, I know…” Jaime didn’t know why, but the thought of the dour woman risking life and limb traveling through the wild country to make it to her wedding to a gold digger really bothered him. And the fact that it bothered him made him angry. “Don’t worry, I’ll get you there in time, babe, so you can wear your dress, or suit, or whatever they are going to truss you up in. So, we better go.”

Jaime fought back a grin as she scowled at him while climbing onto her snowmobile. “I’m not your babe. You know my name now. Although I don’t know yours.”

“It’s Jaime, Jaime Lannister,” he said as he sped away. Jaime realized when he saw the incredulous look on her face that she recognized his name. He knew that was probably a bad thing.

**

Brienne heard him say his name and her body stilled in shock. He couldn’t be Jaime Lannister – could he? The pictures she had seen of him in the media had portrayed him much more put together – a golden prince for all to admire. Head of the secret service team protecting the governor, but then there was an assassination, and everyone pointed the finger at Jaime.

But for some reason, he was never tried, and was pardoned quickly behind closed doors. And apparently, he had become a pilot. It was all very strange.

The scandal behind the name was not the reason Brienne froze when she heard it, however. She knew the name very well for other reasons. Last year, she had run an image match search for her soul mark and was shocked to discover the one that was on Jaime Lannister’s back matched hers very closely. Brienne had denied the possibility of course, especially because of his history.

But now fate had brought them together. Could he really be the one? Brienne shook her head. No, nope, not happening. The man was obnoxious, and she didn’t even WANT him as a soulmate in the extreme unlikelihood their marks were indeed a match. She was going to marry Hyle, and she didn’t need a soulmate. Most people lived an entire lifetime without meeting theirs.

Brienne was so distracted by Jaime’s name, that she put a little too much pressure on the gas peddle when she was ready to move forward. The snowmobile lurched ahead quickly, up a snowbank, and flipped in the air. Brienne went flying out of it and landed face first in the snow. She heard the sound of the snowmobile hitting the ground hard, something breaking off of it as she did.

Brienne groaned in pain, not wanting to move, but knowing she had to, or she would be stuck out her in the woods all by herself since Jaime was long gone.

**

Jaime was still stewing in his thoughts about Brienne’s reaction to his name for several minutes. He hated this part, when people learned who he was, and they judged his past actions. They never gave him a chance to explain. Not that he would. Why bother? No one would believe him.

But the thought of Brienne looking at him with the disdain that everyone else did really got to him, and he had no idea why. He just met the woman, and he didn’t even like her that much.

Jaime finally noticed that there was only the sound of one snow mobile engine cutting through the wilderness, instead of two. He turned his head to see that Brienne was not behind him. Earlier this morning, he would have thought good riddance, but he was not the type of man that would leave a woman stranded in the wilderness, even one such as her.

He turned his snowmobile around, hoping that nothing too terrible had befallen her. He saw smoke in the distance and put his vehicle into high gear. Jaime was relieved to find that it was just the snowmobile on fire after a crash, and Brienne was laying in the snow, safe and sound, if not very grumpy.

“Babe, are you taking a nap in the snow?”

“Oh, Jaime, thank the gods, can you come help me up. I’m wedged into this snow bank. My face is numb,” she said through a muffled voice.

Jaime held back his laughter and helped her out of her predicament. Her face was beet red from exposure to the cold, and her hair was drenched. She was not a pleasant sight.

“You’re even uglier when you’re wet,” he teased, and she punched him in the arm. They both turned to the flaming snow mobile. “I think it’s a goner.” They put out the fire by dumping tons of snow on it.

“You’re going to have to ride with me.” Jaime didn’t like the notion of the two of them squeezing onto the snowmobile, because it wasn’t like she was some small dainty miss. Brienne was bigger than him. But he could think of no other solution.

“Will we fit?” Brienne it seemed had similar doubts about the plan.

“Well, your luggage is all burned up, so you don’t have to worry about that. You will just have to snuggle into me tight,” Jaime teased.

Brienne blushed and stammered at the idea.

“Don’t worry, I’m not interested. I just want to get us south as quickly as possible.”

She lifted her chin in that stubborn set that he admired so much. That’s my girl, he thought, surprising himself at it. She wasn’t his girl, and he was in no position to have a girl or anyone in his life at this point in time. He hadn’t even spoken to his family, except his brother, much in the last few years. How was he developing affection for this strange woman so quickly?

 _You know why_ , his subconscious told him. _It’s her. She’s the one._

 _No,_ he told himself. _Shut up and leave me alone._

He was busy arguing with the voice in his head when he felt Brienne’s arms go around him to hold herself stead on the snow mobile. For someone who was not interested in her, his body seemed to have a completely different reaction.

It was going to be a very long trip.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More roadtrip and rest for the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is chapter 2! Sorry I didn't get it up yesterday, I was cleaning the house for Christmas visitors! 
> 
> I hope you enjoy this!

Brienne’s butt hurt. The consequence of sitting on a snowmobile for too long and sitting improperly at that since she and Jaime both barely fit on the thing together.

Not to say that they themselves didn’t fit together. Brienne felt so awkward at first putting her arms around him to stay on the vehicle, but it was not long until she relaxed into him. It was strange how natural it felt.

 _It’s because he’s your soulmate,_ her inner thoughts said. _No, he isn’t. He’s just a handsome man who is being kind to me and I don’t care and I’m marrying Hyle on Monday_ , she told herself in return.

At war with herself and with a sore butt, Brienne almost cried with relief when they saw a light ahead in the woods.

“I think it’s a cabin – maybe we can stay here for the night instead of pitching a tent in the snow!” Jaime shouted over the roar of the engine. When they pulled up, the light was just a barn light, but rest of the place looked dark and abandoned.

“Stay here, babe, I’m going to check it out.”

“I don’t need your protection, I’m going to check it out too.” She had a black belt in karate, for goodness’ sakes, she didn’t need this man to get any ideas that she needed to be coddled.

Jaime just rolled his eyes before turning and going up the porch steps. They knocked on the door and no one answered. After waiting a minute, they tried again and still got no answer. Jaime reached out and tried the handle, only to find out that it wasn’t locked.

“Hello? Is anyone here?” After they got no answer when they called several times, they started turning lights on in the house.

“I think it’s abandoned. It doesn’t look like anyone’s been here in a while.”

“Sometimes people use these for weekend trips. We can crash here for the night and no one would no any different.”

“This is trespassing! We can’t do this!’

“I’ll tell you what – you go grab the tent off the side of my snowmobile and sleep on the front lawn, and I will stay here all cozy in this cabin.”

Brienne considered doing just that, out of spite for the man. But she was cold. “Okay, fine, but we leave first thing in the morning, and we leave a little money for the owners to pay them for their hospitality.”

Jaime sighed and nodded, and promptly called first dibs on the bathroom before slamming its door in her face. Impossible man. There was no way he was her soulmate. She finally was able to take her turn, and she used the time alone to peel the frozen outside layers of her clothing off. The cabin was warm enough that she could just wear her t-shirt and yoga pants, although they were a bit too form fitting for her liking.

Jaime did not seem to have such qualms, because when she came out of the bathroom he was strutting around without a shirt.

“Do you mind?”

“What? You’ve never seen a man’s chest before. Don’t tell me you’re a maid!”

 Brienne blushed at his words, wondering if there were some other maidenly attributes that were evident about her.

“By gods, you are! Well I suppose that’s going to change after your big wedding on Monday. Do you think that your fiancé is strong enough to take on the likes of you as a lover?”

Brienne turned away from him to hide her deepening blush. This was definitely not a conversation she wanted to be having with him, or anyone, ever.  She started laying a pillow and blanket that she had found on the floor. “What are you doing?” Jaime finally stopped laughing to ask.

“There’s only one bed, and I’m perfectly fine sleeping on the floor.”

“Come on, babe, I don’t bite. There’s room enough for both of us.” Jaime sat on the bed and patted the other side. “Remember, I’m not interested.”

Brienne remembered him saying that alright, although the tone of his voice was different than when he said it before. And not as convincing now.

“Please, Brienne, I couldn’t in all conscious let a lady, even a strong one such as yourself, sleep on the floor while I took the bed. Please save my chivalry.”

Brienne grumbled under her breath before grabbing her pillow and tossing it on the bed. “Fine, but you had better stay on your side.”

He chuckled at that. “I wouldn’t dare come near you while sleeping. I might lose a limb.”

That earned him another scowl, which seemed to make the infuriating man chuckle more. He blew out the candle before climbing into bed, his back facing her.

One would think he would cover his torso with the blanket, but he left it bare for her to see.

And see she did, his broad shoulders, his toned muscles. And there, on the small of his back it was, his soulmark. And it did indeed match hers.

 _He’s yours_ , something primal whispered inside of her, and she longed to reach out and run her fingers over the mark. She held her hands together to force herself to not do so. Her breathe must have hitched because Jaime looked at her over his shoulder.

“You alright, babe?”

All she could do was nod. His eyes studied her for a moment, as if trying to see into her soul, before he finally turned away and laid back down on the pillow.

“Stop admiring my form and go to sleep, Brienne.”

Brienne hit him with the pillow before turning away from him. It was going to be a long night, and one thing she knew for sure – the fates had it wrong when they were picking out them for soulmates.

**

Brienne barely moved when Jaime woke up in the middle of the night and started moving about the room. He crept slowly to the door, wincing every time the floor squeaked. He had to pee, and he didn’t want to wake her so he was going to use the one downstairs near the living room.

It seemed that his efforts were moot, because an army of zombies could come parading through their room and she wouldn’t wake. Brienne was a sound sleeper, and she snored too, he thought with a grin. He wanted to stand there and watch her sleep for a moment, but his needs were pressing. Something about this woman got under his skin.

It wasn’t that she was irritating, although she was at that. Insisting on coming along with him despite his protests. Slowing him down, always being noble by protesting their breaking and entering and volunteering to sleep on the floor.

It was infuriating.

It was fascinating.

She was ugly, to be sure. Nothing about her appearance even remotely resembled the type of woman that he was interested in. Some might say she looked more like a man than a woman, especially in all the winter gear they had to wear.

But when she had shed her coat an some of her layers, he saw that she indeed have a somewhat of a woman’s shape, barely, but it was there. And she did have astonishing eyes.

Jaime closed his eyes and tried to shake the memory of her eyes boring into his last night right before he had fallen asleep. He thought he had heard her gasp and had turned his head to check on her, and had been caught in the trap of her gaze. Something was there, in that gaze. Something he felt like he should know but couldn’t quite seem to grasp.

Brienne snored loudly and rolled over, and Jaime had to cover his mouth not to laugh when one of her freakishly long legs stuck out of the blanket.

Well maybe freakishly long wasn’t the word, because he found that he was quite fascinated by her legs, and the way they seemed to curl into her whenever she sat. It seemed scientifically impossible, but the tall woman folded into herself whenever she wasn't moving.

What happened to you, babe, that made you want to burrow yourself away from the world? Jaime wondered, but knew the answer already. People could be cruel. Hells, he was cruel when he first met her. Jaime was filled with an overwhelming desire to punch anyone in the face that said a cross word about her.

Now where had that thought come from? He cared nothing about the woman.

Or maybe, they were forming some sort of odd little friendship from traveling together? Tyrion, his little brother, would find this whole thing amusing. He was always teasing Jaime about befriending the different people of the world, including Tyrion himself, who was a dwarf.

All he knew was that he had to stop staring at the woman like a lovesick school boy and hurry downstairs to relieve himself. Once he was finished with his business, Jaime heard a clank in the kitchen. He could still faintly hear Brienne’s snores upstairs, so he knew it wasn’t her.

They were not alone in the cabin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An encounter in the cabin, a surprising discovery, and more!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas! Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Crash

Thud

Scream

Brienne woke with a start to hear the shouting of men. She reached over to the other side of the bed and did not feel Jaime and knew that he was the source of the screaming. He was in danger, and she needed to save him.

She crept slowly down the stairs and peered in the kitchen to see Jaime fighting with a man in long underwear and a hunting cap. The man must have taken Jaime by surprise, because his lip was split. But Jaime was holding his own in the fight though.

Brienne looked around for a weapon, something, anything. This was a hunting cabin, so she would have thought there would be more weapons around. Finally, her eyes landed on a sword mounted and displayed on the wall. It was a beauty, but she didn’t have time to admire it. She needed to rescue Jaime.

When she re-entered the kitchen, the two men were still busy beating each other to a bloody pulp. “Let him go,” she shouted, and both men started at the sound of her voice. The redneck guy in the long johns just scoffed at her.

“What does a woman know what do with a sword?”

Brienne took that moment to slice off the top of his hunting cap without harming a hair on his head. Brienne noticed Jaime’s eyes widened with admiration at her skill.

“I’ve had years of training in fencing and sword play. It is common practice on my family’s island. We send many athletes to the Olympics, who always come home with medals. Care to test me to see if I’m rusty?”

The man just shook his head. “I was just mad that you guys honed in on my score. I always raid this cabin when the owners are away and get some food.”

Brienne lowered her weapon. “Well, if that’s all, we will make you some food.”

Jaime wiped blood off his nose. “We will?”

“Of course, Jaime, the man is hungry.”

Jaime just rolled his eyes at her, a look she was getting used to, and Brienne rummaged in the cupboards to find something to feed the man. She settled on a jar of canned spaghetti.

“Brienne, really, you are entertaining this man?”

“We are all trespassers.”

**

Jaime finally grudgingly accepted her point, and even found something for the man to drink while Brienne cooked. When they finally sent the man on his merry way – he declined to stay the night, saying he had more miles to cover – his belly was full, and his feet were warm.

Brienne and Jaime went back to bed, but it was hard for them to return to sleep. “I can’t believe we ended up being so nice to the man who almost broke my nose.”

Brienne laughed at that. “Well then, we would be twins, for I’ve had my nose broken several times.”

Jaime’s heart clenched when he thought of his real twin, his sister Cersei, who had gone off the deep end last year and had to be committed. She had manipulated him their entire life with her narcissism, constantly ranting about how the two of them were one person.

Looking into Brienne’s earnest eyes, he wished they were the ones that were connected instead.

 _You are connected,_ a voice somewhere inside of him said. And Jaime tried to ignore it because it was silly to think that he would have any sort of connection with the woman. But the voice was persistent, and he forced himself to think of the latest music hit he could think of to drown out the voice. Maybe he was going as mad as his sister.  

“Go to sleep Jaime,” Brienne said when he sighed loudly.

“You first, babe.”

“Why do you always call me that? Even now when you know my name.”

“Because it irks you.”

“And being irksome is your life goal? Because you succeed, sir.”

Jaime laughed at that. “I only like to be irksome with you, babe. You get this awesome crinkle between your eyes. Just there, above your nose.”

Jaime reached out and touched the point on her face he was talking about and they both froze at the contact. A spark of electricity passed between them.

“Jaime I…”

His mind scrambled. Well, this was a surprise, indeed. There was only one reason such electricity would pass between them, they were soulmates. He wanted to laugh and scream at the same time. He thought he didn’t have one anymore, after everything that had happened with his family and the choices he had made. He thought he didn’t deserve one. And here she was, the most contrary woman in all of Westeros was his soulmate. He supposed that made sense.

He turned to her excitedly. “Where is it? I want to see it.”

“Where’s what?”

“Your soulmark.”

Brienne gaped at him. “What a personal question, I’m not showing you that!”

Jaime just smirked at her. “Come on, babe, you know the only reason we would spark like that would be if we were soulmates. Now let’s see it.”

“I know no such thing, it’s static electricity,” Brienne said in a huff. “And I’m not showing you my mark.”

She was lying. He knew it, she knew it, but she wasn’t going to budge. She stuck her chin up adorably, and Jaime just wanted to kiss it.

Having her for a soulmate was a surprise, but he found that he kind of liked it. But for some reason, she was denying their connection. Well, game on, babe, he thought. Jaime started formulating a plan to break down those walls of hers.

First step – shock her.

Jaime promptly removed his pants.

“What in the seven hells are you doing?” Brienne practically screeched. She never struck him as the shrieking type, but apparently the sight of him naked would do that to a woman.

“I’m getting ready to take a shower, you wanna join me? I’m sure the water is nice and lukewarm? If you wait, it might be cold by the time it gets to you.”

“I’ll wait.” Brienne scowled at him as he practically skipped across the room butt naked.

“Your loss, babe. I don’t know how long I’ll be, as I can’t get those legs of yours out of my mind.” He turned to her one last time before going into the bathroom, to give her a big display of just what affect thinking about her legs had on him. Well, his nether regions, that is. Brienne turned a shade of beet red and looked away. But Jaime noticed her peeking back before he turned. Step one was a success.

Jaime did indeed take a long time in the shower to take care of his…problem. And she was very angry when he got out, mumbling under her breath about wasted water. He just could not stop grinning at her. He found that he liked her angry just as much as he did when she was happy.

He packed up their bag while she was in the shower, except for the clothes they would be wearing today. Brienne would borrow some of Jaime’s clothing, as they happened to be close to the same size. Jaime quite liked that idea for some reason.

If Step 1 of his plan was shock, then Step 2 would be awe. Jaime purposefully did not get dressed, but stood outside of the bathroom door. Brienne emerged a few minutes later in a towel and collided with him.

They fell on the floor, with Brienne on top of him. And he was very much excited again, despite taking care of it in the shower. This woman must be made for him, because his body was ready to go at a moment’s notice for her.

Brienne’s eyes widened at the feeling of his hardness against her leg, and she promptly tried to scurry off him. She paused when he reached up to cup her cheek in his hand. Their eyes connected, and they were lost in each other’s gaze.

“Brienne…” he started before closing the distance between them and claiming her mouth for a kiss. _Mine, all mine,_ his inner voice said happily as he deepened the kiss. Brienne sighed with pleasure as she returned his passion with her own.

 _We fit_ , Jaime thought. And he realized that his family, his reputation, his everything be damned beyond this moment with Brienne.

“Brienne, please, show me your soul mark.”

But his words, as lustily as they sounded, acted like a bucket of cold water on her. Brienne scrambled off of him, grabbed her clothes off the bedroom and ran to the bathroom. She shut the door quickly and Jaime could hear it lock.

He got up swiftly and started knocking on the door. “Brienne, please, what is it? Why won’t you show me your mark? I know you know we are soulmates.”

“Leave me alone, Jaime.”

“Whatever it is, we’ll work it out.”

Brienne opened the door swiftly, fully clothed now, her face a beet red as she carefully avoided looking down at Jaime’s nakedness.

“There is no ‘we’ to work anything out. I’m not showing you my soulmark. We are not soulmates. I’m getting married in a few days. And you will find someone else who is a match. She will be beautiful and everything that you need.” Brienne’s chin went up again, as she seemed resolved to the fate she had just laid out.

“Oh Brienne, no…please. I don’t want someone else. I want you. Sure, we’ve only known each other a few days, but my heart feels like it’s known yours forever.”

She crossed the room to gather the rest of their things. “I made a vow, and I intend to keep it.”

Jaime’s shoulders sagged. His plan to convince her wasn’t working. He begrudgingly put on his clothes and made sure their mess in the room was cleaned up. “Well, let’s get you to the wedding, then.” He was defeated, but maybe on the journey she would grow to care for him more and he could convince her otherwise.

“Thank you, Jaime,” she said as she climbed onto the snowmobile behind him. He roared the engine to life and steered it to the south. His journey was filled with less excitement now, because it felt like he was riding toward their doom.

**

Brienne could not bear the sad expression Jaime was giving her all day. He looked on the verge of tears when he handed her lunch. She felt on the verge herself.

He knew.

Jaime knew they were soulmates, and she was pretending they weren’t even though they both knew the truth. She had panicked when he had first said it, so her lie came out as a defense mechanism, but now she was resolute in her decision.

Jaime was…well Jaime. He had a free life now that he was out of the guard and spent most of his time flying through the wilderness. She had a responsibility to her father, and as much as she liked the sound of Jaime’s lifestyle, she couldn’t live it with him.

Besides, Jaime was beautiful, and he needed to be with someone who…matched. And that was not Brienne. The gods were playing a cruel joke with this one. She only wished she knew why they chose to torment her so.

Brienne thought about the man waiting for her at the altar – Hyle Hunt. He had been part of a bet that men in her town had about who could take her virginity first. He had gotten the farthest, seducing her with attention and kind words. And he had kissed her, before she realized that the whole thing was fake. And now she was agreeing to marry that asshole because he had apologized to her and her father was desperate for her to wed and make him some grandchildren.

The kiss from Hyle had been hurried and unimpressive, only because he was disgusted by the idea of her at the time. She wondered vaguely if their wedding kiss would be the same.

Brienne allowed herself to think briefly about her kiss with Jaime. If she had to marry Hyle, at least she had the memory of what a great kiss was like. No, great was not the word. Earth shattering? Yes, that was it.

The soulmate mark on Brienne’s thigh burned, and she rubbed her hand across it. She wondered if the thing would irritate her for the rest of her life now that she had met and rejected Jaime.

But really, she was just rejecting him before he had the chance to reject her. Sure, it was all well and good to think someone was your soulmate when you were out in the wilderness together all alone. But once Jaime saw her again compared to women in civilization, he would drop his insistence that they were soulmates. Even though she knew their marks were a match, he didn’t know that. He would grab onto her static electricity theory and run with it.

Brienne sighed as she finished her lunch and helped clean up.

“Don’t act like your sad, I’m the one who should be sad,” Jaime said angrily. “I offered kissing and naked wrestling, and you were the one who pulled away and put clothes on.”

“Jaime…you don’t have to keep doing this. You’ll see, when we get to King’s Landing, that you made a mistake.”

Jaime crossed to her and kissed her quickly before she could move away, again the sparks ignited, but she forced herself to pull back with a mournful cry.

“I don’t know why you are doing this to us, but I’m not going to go down without a fight,” Jaime said.

“Well, I’m a fighter too.” Brienne crossed her arms and glared at him, but that only made the idiot smile.

“Challenge accepted, babe. Let’s go. I think you should keep your hands off of me from now on,” Brienne started to say when she walked back to the snow mobile. “It will make things easier on both of us.”

No sooner were the words out of her mouth than suddenly Jaime tackled her to the ground, laying flatly on top of her.

“Jaime! What in gods name are you doing?”

“Stay still, babe. As much as I would normally love to be in this position with you, this is out of necessity.”

Brienne glared at him. “Why would this be out of necessity?”

“Well don’t look now, but there is a bear going through our supplies.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bear and tent sharing!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope everyone had a good holiday yesterday to those who celebrate! 
> 
> Enjoy this chapter!

Brienne did her best to peek around him and there was indeed a bear standing right where she had come from. If Jaime hadn’t tackled her, she probably would be bear food right now. He couldn’t let anything bad happen to his soulmate. He had just found her.

They stayed as still as possible, praying that the bear wouldn’t notice them and move away Jaime tried to ignore the position they were in. Avoiding a bear was not the time to be thinking about laying on top of Brienne’s finely toned body. Even if it felt very, very nice.

“Jaime, you can get off of me now, the bear is gone,” Brienne murmured, but she seemed in no mood to move them either. “You saved my life. After everything…after this morning.”

Jaime brushed a stray lock of hair off her forehead and stared into her sapphire eyes. “Like it or not, you are my soulmate. Even if you reject me completely, I’m not going to let you die.”

A tear trickled down Brienne’s face, and Jaime wiped it away with his thumb. “I’m so sorry Jaime, it’s not that I…”

“Shhh, I know, babe. You are the most just and honorable woman in all of Westeros, and you will not go back on a promise, not even for me. Unfortunately, that’s one of the things I admire about you,” Jaime explained as he climbed off of her and offered her a hand to lift her up.

“You’re a good man, Jaime Lannister,” Brienne said through a cracked voice. He was glad that he was finally getting through to her, but he hated her heartbreak.

“If you could pass that along to the rest of the haters in Westeros, I would appreciate it.” He didn’t wait for a response and marched over to survey the damage caused by the bear.

“Well one of our tents is completely ripped to shreds. Probably because I ate a granola bar in there last time and there were crumbs. The clothes seem okay, but severely wet. We need to get going now, but maybe we can lay them by the fire tonight.”

Brienne nodded and went to pack them away.

“Our sealed container where we kept our food seemed to work, so we won’t starve. All in all, we got lucky.”

“And you also saved me,” Brienne said, as if she didn’t want him to forget his good deed. That’s his babe, the only one who thought any good of him. He didn’t respond, merely waited on the snowmobile for her to hop on.

They stopped several hours later for dinner and to camp for the night. There was still snow on the ground, but it wasn’t as thick. If they put in a good day of travel tomorrow, they would be very close to their destination by tomorrow night.

“We should be able to stay at a hotel tomorrow. If we make it into the town by dinner time, we will only be about four hours out of King’s Landing the following day. Hop on a boat when we get there, and by this time the day after tomorrow, you will be home getting ready for your wedding.”

The words sat bitterly in his mouth. He didn’t want to think about her getting married, but he wanted her to be happy. And if this was what she wanted, he wasn’t going to stand in her way. But that didn’t mean it wasn’t awful.

“Jaime, about my wedding…”

“It’s okay, I don’t want to talk about it, can we just change the subject?”

Much to his relief, Brienne agreed. “So, I guess we are sleeping in the same tent tonight?”

She didn’t seem thrilled about the idea, but Jaime loved it.

“Yes, and it’s a small one, too. You are going to have to snuggle up really close to my fine form to stay warm.”

Jaime waggled his eyebrows at her and she just laughed and smacked him on the arm. “Shut up, idiot.”

“Never, babe. You would miss my voice.”

They ate dinner in companionable silence, and Jaime savored every moment he could with her before he lost her. He let himself imagine what it would be like living with Brienne forever. Them going on adventures like this until they were too old to function. It was a nice life, but not a life that one such as him deserved.

As if reading his thoughts, Brienne asked him the question he had been dreading.

“Jaime…what really happened? With the governor?”

Jaime’s inner thoughts were at war. He could give her the jokes and distractions that he normally gave people, but he didn’t want to be disingenuous. Not with her.

He sighed and poked at their campfire. “Well, you heard that he was mad? That he started losing it in his older age? He kept ranting about wanting to restore the monarchy and reign like his family of old when he ran out of terms to run for.”

Brienne nodded. “Yeah, I saw that in the documentary. But they were already starting the process of getting him out of office based on mental capacity.”

“Yes, they were, but they were not working quickly enough. And no, him ranting about the monarchy is not why I killed him.”

Brienne remained silent, staring at him with those big bright eyes. It gave him courage to continue.

“When you sign up for the service, you take an oath, to protect lives, to step in front of a bullet if need be, but the most important thing was to protect our nation. When you have so many oaths, what if one contradicts another? What if protecting the governor meant the destruction of our nation?”

Still, Brienne said nothing, but he wasn’t looking at her now. He just stared at the fire, lost in his memories.

“He had wildfire, you know, buried around the city and in important buildings in the state. He thought he was the second coming of the dragon kings, and if they didn’t give him the monarchy back, he would take it by force.”

Brienne gasped at this. “I never heard any of this information.”

“The family kept it quiet, afterwards. Well, the FBI got word of what was happening and made a move on him, but not quickly enough. I was on his detail that day, when he turned to his most loyal munitions specialist and said, ‘burn them all.’ He was going to kill so many people.”

Brienne came around the fire and sat next to him at some point of his story, he didn’t know when. She reached out and threaded her fingers through his.

“It’s alright, Jaime, I can figure out what happened next,” she said softly, and he was grateful that he didn’t have to finish the story of that awful chapter in his life.

“They exonerated you because you promised to keep the story to yourself and you let people think ill of you all these years, Jaime.” There was an affectionate censure in her voice, but Jaime just shrugged.

“It’s not like that many people would believe me. They would just say my family’s money bought the truth, no matter what other witnesses to his plan I brought forward to the public. The fact that I was cleared did enough so that people had doubts about what really happened, but not enough for me to want to spend much time in polite society.”

Brienne nodded. “I suppose I get that. Is that why you chose to become a pilot?”

“Yes, the time alone in the wilderness between flights is the only time I get any peace.”

“And I’ve gone and ruined it by tagging along.”

“I like you tagging along.”

They smiled at each other as they finished their meal.

**

Brienne thought she could handle sharing a tent with Jaime, she really did. But now the reality was not meeting up to the expectation. Jaime was not sticking to his side of the sleeping bag that they had mapped out carefully – much to his apparent amusement – when they settled in for the night. Instead, he was draped all over her like a blanket.

It was difficult for her to deny her feelings for Jaime when she loved being held by him so much. The feeling of his breath against her neck was so comforting, so reassuring that she was not alone in this world. It made her want to yell “fuck loyalty” and stay with Jaime forever.

But Jaime wanted to stay in the wilderness, not settle in Tarth. And she had also promised Hyle and her father that she would wed the man. But she was finding that promise harder and harder to keep. Brienne could barely process the story that Jaime had told her. She knew on about their second day together that he was not as terrible as the whole world thought him to be, that there must be more to the story, and she was right.

Jaime was a good, noble man. And nobody but her knew about it. It was one of the sad and unfair things about life.

“Brienne don’t leave me,” she heard Jaime murmur in his sleep, and her heart broke a little bit more. He was dreaming of her, of the time they would be apart. She wanted it in equal parts to be over soon to put them out of their misery, and longer because she wanted more time with Jaime.

“It’s alright, Jaime, I’m here,” she whispered before giving him a kiss on her forehead.

“My babe…” he muttered, bringing a smile to Brienne’s face as she drifted off to sleep as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Will these two idiots ever work it out?


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brienne and Jaime get closer to their journey's end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoy this chapter!

A new peace seemed to descend upon Jaime and Brienne as they traveled the next day. His fireside confession had done much to bond them together. When they stopped for lunch, Brienne told him all about her childhood. Of the bullies who had mocked her until she learned to knock them all into the ground. And worst of all, about the bet that had been made about her in high school.

It made Jaime grind his teeth to hear the story, and he wanted to beat the crap out of all the men, but he did his best to control his anger. Besides, there was something Brienne wasn’t telling him about the story. It made him sad that she was holding something back.

With each passing hour, they got closer and closer to the civilized world. In a small town, they parked their snowmobiles and rented a car. There was a new intimacy about being together side by side in the vehicle’s warmth. But it made Jaime miss Brienne’s arms around him.

They fought about the music on the radio until they found a station they both liked. Gods, he even loved fighting with this woman, and would willingly do so until the end of his days. But it wasn’t meant to be, even if the fates insisted it was.

“Jaime, why are you so eager to get back to King’s Landing? Do you have people waiting for you? Your family?”

He huffed at those words. “My family has all pretty much disowned me. My sister will never forgive me for running off to the woods after everything happened. I’m an embarrassment to my father. The only one I will probably go and see is my brother, Tyrion. He’s the only tolerable one in the lot.”

Brienne chuckled at this. “Well, I think you turned out okay.”

“By some miracle. And that’s up for debate.”

“No, I mean it, Jaime. You are a good man,” Brienne reminded him once again. A warmth began in his stomach and spread all the way to his heart. This was what it was supposed to feel like, when you found your match. They made you feel like you had a place in the world, even when you are lost.

Jaime was tempted to drive the car slower, so they wouldn’t get to the hotel and civilization soon. He wanted more time with Brienne, and he wasn’t above driving 15 mph to get it. But they arrived at their destination anyway.

“Look, Jaime! Cell reception!” Brienne happily waved her phone at him, but he could not get excited. Tomorrow she would be on her way to Tarth and out of his life.

“You go call your dad and I will get us checked in,” he said glumly. Brienne gave him a soft smile and dialed the number.

“So, will that be one room, or two?” The thought of Brienne in another room when they had so little time together sat unpleasantly in his gut.

“Just the one,” he said without hesitation. He was too honorable to try seducing her again, but maybe he could hold her in his arms one last time.

**

“I’m sorry for the delay, dad, but I will be back late tomorrow evening.”

Selwyn Tarth had been more than relieved to finally hear his daughter’s voice – safe and sound – on the phone.

“It’s fine, Brienne. Take your time. I’m just glad you’re okay. Your fiancée is getting a little nervous, though.”

“I know, tell him I’m sorry.”

“Don’t you want to talk to him? He’s right in the next room.”

Brienne did not want to talk to Hyle at all. The thought of it turned her stomach. _Because you are already in love with your soulmate_ , her inner voice said.

“No, that’s okay. Just tell him I’ll be back tomorrow.”

Selwyn hesitated. “Brienne, are you sure you’re okay? You don’t sound like a bride that is looking forward to her wedding day. You aren’t getting cold feet, are you?”

Brienne sighed, she didn’t want to disappoint her father, although she would rather stay in the wilderness with Jaime Lannister than marry Hyle Hunt any day.

“No, I’m fine, dad. I will keep my promise to you.”

“Pumpkin…”

Brienne felt a lump form in her throat and tears gather in the back of her eyes. She didn’t want to cry on the phone with her dad. She made it a point to never cry in front of anyone. When her mother died, she held everything together until she was alone later and then cried in her room for hours.

“I have to go, dad. I will see you tomorrow.” She hung up quickly before the tears came out against her will. She just needed to get to her room to have a good wallow.

Ten minutes later she stood in the doorway of the room she was sharing with Jaime. “Are you sure there was only one room?”

“Babe, this is our last night together. Can’t we just stick close? I promise you that I will keep my hands to myself. Unless you don’t want me too.” Jaime waggled his eyebrows at her, and she walked over to the bed and threw a pillow at him.

“It’s fine I suppose.” Brienne felt her chin start to wobble. This was her last night with Jaime. Tomorrow night she would be stuck with Hyle forever. She needed to get into the bathroom to cry it out.

“How did the call go with your father?” She knew that Jaime was just trying to make conversation, but it burst the dam that was already barely holding her together.

Brienne burst into tears. This would not do, she didn’t cry in front of people. She covered up her eyes with her palms, as if trying to hold the tears, and ran to the bathroom.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, what’s going on Brienne, are you okay?”

Jaime was obviously quicker than her because he was in front of her and stopping her escape in an instant.

“I’m fine, I just really have to pee.” She said it in carefully measured words, willing sobs to not escape from her throat.

“From your eyes?”

This made Brienne burst into the rarest of all emotional outbursts – the laugh cry. Jaime had managed to make her laugh, but her body still ached under the weight of what was in front of her at the altar.

“Now can you please tell me what’s going on?”

“I didn’t even want to talk to him.”

“Who?”

“My fiancée. He was in the other room, and my dad asked if I wanted to talk to him and I said no. In fact, the thought of hearing his voice made me want to throw up.”

Jaime frowned at her. “I know this isn’t a love match, but are you truly disgusted by this guy? Who is he?”

Brienne could tell from his expression that hearing about the man she would marry instead of him was the last thing he wanted to do, but she needed to get it out.

“He really wants my father’s land, so that’s why he’s marrying me. His name his Hyle.”

Jaime shot off the bed in a flash.

“Hyle – as in the asshole that was in on that bet that you told me about?”

Brienne could only nod, ashamed.

“And you are MARRYING him? That piece of shit is not worthy to be in the same room with you let alone get to be your husband.”

“I made a promise.”

“Fuck your promise! Why would you agree to marry him in the first place?”

Brienne’s sadness turned to anger. Someone like him had no idea what it was like to be someone like her. Sure, he had been ostracized after the incident with the king, but he had not endured a lifetime of scorn for his looks and size. He was gorgeous, half a god even, and he came from one of the most popular and affluent families in Westeros.

“Why would you want to marry that asshole?” Jaime asked again, as if he had any right to be angry with her.

“Because I had no other options and I made my father a promise! He’s been trying for years to get me married off to people, he even tried to set me up with an old man. One look at me and all the suiters ran in the opposite direction. Beggars can’t be choosers, Jaime. I’m not like you.”

“But you don’t have to be a beggar now! You have me! You can marry me, and your father will be happy and you can stay far away from that idiot that didn’t see your value.”

Brienne wanted to cry all over again. “I made a promise to Hyle too, and I can’t break it. Besides, you don’t want to marry me, Jaime. You want to spend your days in the wilderness alone.”

“Brienne, I know it’s so soon after we met, and maybe it’s just the soulmark talking, but I love you! We can live part of the time up north and part of the time in Tarth, or wherever you want.”

Brienne’s heart started to swell with his words. Would it be possible? Could she allow herself to break a promise and choose what she wanted instead?

Her thoughts were cut off with Jaime’s lips on her own. She let herself drown in him, consumed by all that was Jaime. He was hers and she was his, whether it was forever or not. She started to pull on his shirt to take it off. She had been dying to get her hands on his abs. But Jaime pulled away suddenly.

“Babe, we can’t do this, not now,” Jaime said, his voice filled with regret.

All of Brienne’s doubts and insecurities flooded back to her. “I thought you wanted…”

Jaime pulled her back to him. “I want to, gods do I want to, babe.” Brienne could feel the evidence of that want pressed against her leg. “But you are still a maid, and I don’t want to rush you into something you might regret. I cannot believe I’m saying this, but why don’t we wait until we get married? Your father has the wedding all set – can you just change out the groom?”

Brienne reeled at the idea? Not only dump Hyle, but replace him at the alter so quickly? It was a lot more on the dishonorable side than she ever thought she would wander. And did Jaime really want to marry her? They had only met a few days ago. Sure, they were soulmates, but usually matched pairs took a long time to get to know each other. But the more Brienne thought about it, the more spending a lifetime with Jaime sounded promising.

“Alright,” she said softly, and Jaime’s eyes widened with excitement.

“Really? Really babe? You will marry me?”

She nodded, and he kissed her again.

“Jaime, we don’t have to…er…be intimate, but maybe we could do a lot more of that? The kissing I mean?”

Jaime grinned at her. “Your wish is my command. I will even take off my shirt, but only if you take off yours.”

Brienne complied, and they spent the rest of the evening lost in each other.

**

Hours later, Jaime was in the shower, never having been happier in his life. He had found the woman of his dreams and she had agreed to marry him. Jaime had some trepidation at meeting her father, but hopefully the man would accept him.

And he wouldn’t leave Brienne’s side when she broke the news to Hyle. That man was scum, and it would talk all his reserves of strength not to grab the man by the pants and toss him out of the sept himself like the garbage he was.

Jaime thought about the life and Brienne would have together. She seemed to like her life up north, teaching the children. She could continue that work or find something else. They could travel together when she was on break. Many more nights snuggled together in a tent when they were finally married, and he could do something about keeping her warm properly.

The idea put a grin on his face, and he hummed a tune while he brushed his teeth. He heard the hotel room door shut, but it didn’t concern him. Brienne probably went out to get a snack or some ice or something. He continued getting dressed, and after a few minutes when she didn’t return, Jaime started to get concerned.

“Babe?” He asked as he exited the bathroom, but the room was vacant. Jaime noticed his phone laying on the bed, and that he had two new messages. When he saw them, he paled and raced out of the room, without a shirt or shoes.

“Brienne!” His shouting down the hallway got a lot of angry grumbles from the other hotel guests, but he didn’t care. Jaime skipped the elevator and ran down to the lobby on the stairs to save time.

He ran through the front door just in time to see Brienne hop into a cab. Jaime called her name and turned to him with sad eyes. “Goodbye, Jaime,” she mouthed as the cab drove away. Jaime ran after it for a few feet but stopped when he realized his efforts were futile.

He had lost her. He couldn’t even call her because they hadn’t exchanged numbers. All because of his family. Jaime looked down at his message that popped up on his lock screen. He probably should have told Brienne everything. Now she had found it out this way and was probably hurt that he had kept things from her.  

Jaime walked back into the hotel, not caring how cold his feet were from being barefoot in the winter. His babe was gone, and he would never see her again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh the angst! I'm so sorry for it, but don't worry, I believe in happy endings! And Jaime was his own cockblocker this time. LOL


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lots of communication fails - can the soulmates get their act together in time?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We've come to the very last chapter. The two dorks in love do more stupid things in this chapter. Hope you enjoy their idiocy. :)

Brienne fought the tears that were forming behind her eyes. What was it about Jaime Lannister that always made her want to cry? She had been so happy when she woke up in his arms this morning, and now she was taking a very expensive taxi ride the remainder of the way to the docks, so she could get back to Tarth and her wedding to Hyle Hunt sooner.

She had foolishly believed Jaime and his promises to marry her. That he wanted her and thought she was beautiful just as she was.

Then this morning while he was in the shower, she heard his phone ping with a message. She hadn’t meant to read it, merely picking it up so she could bring it to him in case it was important. But then it had pinged again.

The first message was a calendar reminder – to meet someone named Joanna. The other messages, and they kept coming one after another were from a contact labeled “the annoying one” were demanding Jaime come and take the children for the weekend, because she, whoever she was, needed a break.

Those messages had completely shuffled her world. Brienne realized she didn’t know Jaime, not really at all. First, he was proposing to her when he already had a date with someone named Joanna. And second, he had kids and never thought to mention that to her? Not setting a good precedence for a life together. The whole thing made her think about how dishonorable she was being toward her father and Hyle, and for someone she didn’t even know.

So, Brienne fled. She may not have a happy life with Hyle, but she at least would be safe from having her heart broken by him because she would never give it to him.

Brienne sighed as King’s Landing came into view. In an hour, she would be at the docks and on a ship for Tarth. The weather was turning warmer, and Brienne shrugged off her jacket. It was then she realized she was still wearing Jaime’s clothes. She needed to at least get the coat to him, because it felt expensive.

She rummaged in his pockets and found a letter with an address on it with the name Lannister. Brienne would just stop by and leave the coat on the front step. She was hours ahead of Jaime, so there was no chance that she would run into him. Brienne closed her eyes at the memory of the hurt look in Jaime’s eyes as she drove away. He didn’t have the right to be hurt – he was cheating on someone with her!

It took only a few minutes for Brienne to find the address on the envelop. It was a nice-looking townhome, not one she would expect for one of the wealthiest families in Westeros to own. Brienne was just placing the jacket by the front door when it opened.

“Oh, hello. Can I help you?”

Brienne was surprised to see Tyrion Lannister, standing there. She remembered the younger Lannister brother, a dwarf, from the news stories about the family.

“Um, no, I uh just had Jaime’s jacket and I wanted to return it,” she stammered.

The man sized her up. Brienne had never felt like fleeing so much. “You must be Brienne. The soulmate.”

Brienne gasped at him in surprise. “Jaime told you about me?”

“Yes, he called me crying about two minutes after you left him this morning.”

“He was crying?”

Tyrion gave her an amused smile. “Yes, and I’ve never seen my brother this desperately in love. So, thank you for that. Not for breaking his heart, though.”

“I really should go.”

“No, I think you should come in and have a glass of wine. Or a cup of tea, if you don’t drink this early in the day.”

Brienne tried to object again, but the man would not take no for an answer and before she knew it, she was sitting in the living room sipping on tea.

“So, Brienne, what is it that made you run from Jaime?”

“I…”

She was saved by the sounds of children shouting and a loud thump upstairs. Tyrion closed his eyes as if he was praying for peace. “If you will excuse me, I have to go make sure everyone is still alive. I cannot wait for my brother to get here and give me a break.”

Tyrion left the room and was gone for several minutes. Brienne’s mind raced, trying to piece together the puzzle that was in front of her. Were the children Tyrion’s kids? Was Jaime just a nice uncle who cared for them from time to time to give his brother a breather?

“I apologize. They were playing tug of war with the bedsheets. Did I mention I was ready for a break?”

“So, they are your children?”

Tyrion shook his head. “No, they are our sister’s. The news reports that she was in rehab and then on an extended vacation, but she’s really in the nuthouse.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry.”

Tyrion shrugged. “This was coming for years, but my father never wanted to see it.”

“Still, that’s a lot of responsibility for you.”

“And Jaime. He helps, whenever he’s not out wandering the wilderness. We sort of share the load.”

Brienne was still annoyed that Jaime had not shared this with her, but less so than the fact that she thought he had spawned offspring and abandoned them.

“Does his girlfriend help too?”

Tyrion looked at her like she had grown another head. “Girlfriend? You mean you? Because you are the only person he’s been remotely interested in since the incident with the governor.”

“I, uh, saw that he had a calendar date for tomorrow with someone named Joanna.”

Tyrion groaned and leaned back in his chair. “For being soulmates, you two really suck at communication, you know? Maybe that’s why you are perfect for each other.”

“What do you mean?”

“Tomorrow is my birthday, by the way. Which means it is also the anniversary of our mother’s death. Jaime has a standing date in his calendar to bring flowers to her grave. Her name was Joanna, by the way.”

Brienne felt a little dizzy from this information. Jaime was not a father. Jaime was not a two-timer. He was a sweet man that brought flowers to his mother every year and cared for his niece and nephew.

He didn’t deserve her treatment of him, or a terrible soulmate like her at all.

“I need to go. I have a boat to catch,” Brienne said, rushing to her feet. It felt like the walls were closing in on her. She needed to get out of here.

“Really? You can’t stay for a little bit? Jaime should be here in an hour or son.”

“No, I think it’s best for him if I leave.”

“I think you’re what’s best for him, Brienne. My brother is feeling things for the first time in years, and it’s all because of you.”

Brienne gave him a sad smile. “Bye Tyrion, it was nice to meet you.”

And for the first time, Brienne cried in public while on the boat to Tarth.

**

“What do you mean she was here? Why didn’t you stop her?” Jaime paced back and forth in the living room while his brother told him about his encounter with Brienne.

“Have you seen my size? Have you seen hers? How do you propose I should have stopped her, brother?”

Jaime stopped pacing, he was right. But the important thing was that Brienne had been here. She was in this room, just hours before him. She still felt a connection to him.

“She looked defeated though, Jaime. Like she didn’t want to go home and get married. She kept saying that her leaving was what was best for you.”

Jaime groaned and buried his face in her hands. “My stupid babe, not knowing her worth once again.”

He sat down and started pulling on his shoes. “Going to Tarth, I suppose?”

Jaime nodded. “I have a wedding to break up.”

With a grin, he hurried out the door.

**

Brienne’s father was ecstatic to see her, squeezing her into a big bear hug that lasted what seemed like forever. Hyle looked exceedingly bored by her arrival. He barely glanced up from his phone to greet her. This is what she had to look forward to the rest of her life.

With a sigh, Brienne surveyed herself in the mirror. A bride dressed for her wedding. In a dress her father had chosen that looked absolutely awful on her. Oh well, it was just a few short hours, and it would be over. She tried now to think about the kind of wedding she and Jaime would have, probably in a small clearing in the woods, bundled up in their snow gear with only friends and family around.

She pushed those thoughts from her head. This was her life now, and she had to accept it. Brienne walked down the aisle on her father’s arms. Her bridesmaid and cousin, Mary, was crying as she approached. Brienne didn’t know her cousin well and had no idea why the woman would be so emotional at her wedding.

Hyle surveyed her appearance when she reached him at the altar. Brienne could see the disgust in his eyes. He wasn’t even pretending anymore now that they were in the sept about to be wed? He was just in it for Tarth, and Brienne was just a hurdle on his path to owning the island.

The septon started his speech, talking about the importance of marriage, of two souls binding together for all time. Brienne’s heart began to pound and her world was spinning. Jaime. Jaime was the soul she was bound to. Doing this with Hyle felt like cheating.

The septon called for Brienne to stoop down so Hyle could remove her maiden cloak. She couldn’t continue this farce.

“No. No, I won’t do this. I’m sorry father, but your love shouldn’t be based on whether I get married or not. If I don’t wed and have children, you can pass Tarth onto a distant relative. But I cannot force myself into a life of no love.”

Selwyn looked surprised at her words. “I would never expect you to. Sure, I wanted you to get married and to have my grandchildren, but I would never…Brienne, were you just marrying Hyle to make me happy?”

She nodded. “And I’m sorry, I don’t think I can do it.”

Her father just studied her with tears in his eyes. “Of course not, sweetling. I would never want you to.”

Hyle looked annoyed that his efforts to secure Tarth had gone to waste, but her cousin Mary shouted “yes” and hurled herself into Hyle’s arms. It seemed the two of them had formed a connection while she was away. Brienne handed her the bouquet and practically ran back down the aisle. Jaime, she had to get to Jaime.

Brienne threw the sept doors open with a huge grin on her face. She was free, no longer bound by the desire to keep a promise to Hyle or her father. She could go back north and teach the children. She could go on long hikes in the wilderness with her soulmate, if he would still have her.

At that thought, she plopped down on the stairs in front of the sept. It was difficult to sit, so she ripped a slit in the side to give her legs a little more breathing room.

What if she was too late and Jaime didn’t want to bother with her anymore? People lived without their soulmates, it was a possible thing, but the thought of life without Jaime seemed unimaginable.

Brienne heard the roar of an engine and looked up to see Jaime riding up on a motorcycle. He barely stopped the motorcycle before jumping off, throwing his helmet on the ground, and racing full speed toward the sept. He halted in his tracks when he saw her sitting there.

“Brienne…” his voice was a hoarse whisper, and Brienne hadn’t realized how much she had missed hearing his voice.

She quirked an eyebrow at him. “Are you here to stop the wedding?”

He nodded hesitantly.

“You’re too late.”

Jaime’s shoulders slumped, and he lowered himself next to her. “So, you really did it? You got married?”

“Nope, you’re too late because I already stopped it.”

Jaime’s head snapped up and his eyes met hers. “You did?”

She nodded. “I didn’t love Hyle, and if being with you for the last couple of days has taught me anything, it’s that you can really enjoy spending time with a person. I don’t want to spend my life with someone who can barely stand to be in the same room as me.”

“So, you enjoy spending time with me?” Jaime’s familiar smirk was back.

“That’s what you picked up from that entire conversation?”

Jaime cured her annoyance with a kiss, and Brienne barely noticed when the sept door opened and people started streaming out around them.

Jaime did notice, however, because he stood up quickly and shouted. “Everyone back in there! We’re still having a wedding today!”

“We are?” Selwyn asked.

“Yes, sir. I’m sorry I did not ask for your blessing yet, but I’m Jaime Lannister and I’m your daughter’s soulmate.”

“You cannot be seriously thinking of marrying him?” Hyle sniveled from behind Selwyn.

Jaime turned to Brienne. “Is that the guy?”

She didn’t even have time to answer before Jaime marched up to the man and slapped him hard in the mouth. “That’s for how you treated Brienne in high school.”

People started working their way back into the sept, not wanting to miss any of this drama.

“I can fight my own battles, you know,” Brienne said when the two of them were alone in the entryway again.

“I know, but I have to admit that felt really good.”

Brienne chuckled. She turned to see everyone in the sept in their seats but turned to watch them. “Are you sure you want to do this? You want to get married?”

Jaime kissed her again. “I’ve never wanted anything more.”

“Jaime, I’m sorry that I didn’t trust you and thought you were a philanderer who abandons children,” she confessed.

Jaime chuckled. “Well I’m sorry that I wasn’t honest about the extra responsibility I have with my nephews and niece.”

“Let’s agree to speak before we react in the future.”

“Deal, but I won’t agree to not fight with you. It’s one of my favorite activities, arguing with you.”

“Mine too.”

Brienne didn’t bother having her father escort her now, she and Jaime walked down the aisle hand in hand.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that's all! I hope you all enjoyed this story, especially the lovely hardlyfatal.


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